ID these Little Taverns

I found these today in a box of other prints at an antique shop in Havre de Grace, Maryland. From the residue on the one print, it looks like they were originally from a sign company, mocking up billboards. It’s at the same time unfortunate, and extremely exciting to me that despite years of research, both archival and out on the road, these two locations are both unfamiliar to me.

There’s just enough context in them that it seems like one of you out there will be able to ID them.

The sign on the building to the left reads, “Joker’s Inn”, and it looks like the building to the left of that is a cleaners. The quality of the picture is just iffy enough that I can’t make out the street sign. It looks like a numbered street, though. The shot’s late 1960s.

EDIT: This Little Tavern has been ID’ed as Washington No. 26, Good Hope Road.

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Another one, also late ’60s, with a partial LT. With the bridge and the stacks, I would think this one would be easier to ID.

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Bannack, Montana

Bannack was founded in 1862 after the discovery of gold, and was Montana’s first capitol in 1864. Its population slowly dwindled, finally being fully abandoned in the 1960s. Other than a few repairs, the town is more or less as it appeared, with no restoration, leaving a wonderful record of its different periods through the many layers of updates, of 1930s cardboard insulation on the walls covered in layer after layer of wallpaper. A town of textures, of ghosts of the past. It’s a great setup, where the buildings are all open to poke around inside (just please close to door behind you). I’ve never hit it at peak tourist season and have thoroughly enjoyed every experience when I’ve been there when you can appreciate its desolation.

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Textures
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More textures
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The Melody – Livingston, MT

I’ve been looking now for about two years for an abandoned Silk City diner that is supposedly in storage somewhere outside Livingston. There was a photo on flickr (now gone) of it sticking out behind some trees, and almost no context.  Livingston’s a network of ranches and winding dirt roads.  You could look for a long time and I have. But hey, it’s gotten me onto those roads, and into some unusual places.  Like behind the abandoned Melody on the road to Gardner, with this vintage trailer back behind as what I presume is part of the kitchen.

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Ben and His Oldsmobile – Livingston, MT

Here’s an interesting photo from my collection that I picked up in Gallatin Gateway last year. A bit of research reveals Livingston as the location. Looks like these folks had quite the road trip, 32,000 miles on a set of tires, down at least as far as Tijuana and back. I’d love to know the stores. Looks like about a 1925 Olds. If you have more info on the exact year and model, please let me know in the comments!

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Mark’s In and Out Beefburgers Drive In – Livingston, MT

You want to talk guilty pleasures? Let’s talk Mark’s.
Quad Cheese Burgers. Milkshakes so thick they need some time to melt. Orders taken at the walk up, waits handled by buzzer. Every time I’m through Livingston, it’s a must stop. When they close for the winter, it’s local tragedy. When they reopen in the spring, rejoicing.

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